Daydreams And Nightshade (DaN #1)

Chapter 41: How to be a sister (pt. 2)

She finally let go of him, and though he attempted a smile it was obvious even to Luna that it was fake. She didn't stop him from lying down to face the wall again though, just awkwardly patting him again on his back.

"There, there..." she whispered before standing up. If there was one thing she knew about Noah, it was his weaknesses, and even such knowledge could come in handy when attempting to be nice. "Just... try to rest for now."

She made a brief stop at her room to dress properly before heading down the stairs, running into Anthony in the hallway.

"Oh." He looked troubled, which Luna had noticed wasn't all too unusual for him. "You're heading out too?"

"I'm going to get some things for Noah," she replied and put on her boots. She really didn't appreciate how much longer things took to get out of the house in the winter, but after equipping a scarf and gloves she was finally on her way out.

Anthony walked outside as well and Luna tried ignoring him for the sake of comfort, but they soon realized they were heading in the same direction.

"So..." Anthony began. "... How is Noah?"

"He wants to be alone," Luna said. She was certain Noah would object way louder if Anthony tried to invade his private life and personal issues. "I'm just buying some nougat for him."

"Nougat?"

"It's his favorite."

Anthony looked forward and looked to be in thought.

"I... I'm trying to get to know the two of you better, but it's hard. Especially with Noah."

"Well, it's not that surprising," Luna said while trying to remove a strand of hair having gotten stuck in her mouth. "You're much older than us and we only met a while ago."

"Yes but I mean I'm supposed to be a... You know, a parent?"

"But are you?" Luna tried to wipe the hair off on her skirt. "As I've come to understand you never actually had a part in our... creation, or whatever we should call it. I assume you're at least familiar with what I'm talking about?"

Anthony's face suggested he was, so Luna continued.

"And you had no part in raising us at all, so not only would I feel indifferent about you, but you must feel pretty indifferent about us."

"That's—"

"Fine. It's fine," Luna interrupted him. "I get Father wants us to bond with you because of your relationship so it's not like I won't give you a chance, just..." She glanced over at Anthony. "... Just don't take our affection for granted."

"Never would." Anthony had a bittersweet smile on his lips. "Even family related by blood shouldn't be taken for granted."

Luna thought about Damien and Ethan's relationship and figured she knew where Anthony was coming from.

"I'm turning here," Anthony said after a while and gestured to the street to the left. Luna gave him a brief nod. She couldn't quite place what was on that street so she had no clue where he was going, and she didn't feel like asking either. The sweets shop was only a few streets away, closer to the harbor and she sped up her pace. Today had already filled its quota of social interactions and she just wanted to go home and read. Still, Noah was getting his nougat.

Reaching the harbor she noticed an abnormally large gathering of people close to the water and even more rushing over to see what was going on, and she squinted at the scene. It sure looked like a lot of people she couldn't care less about, but her curiosity was quickly getting the best of her so with a sigh she walked over as well.